Saina Nehwal

Saina Nehwal (born March 17, 1990, Hisar, Haryana, India) is the first Indian badminton player to win an Olympic medal. During the 2012 Olympic Games in London, she captured the women’s singles bronze medal. She has won more than 20 titles internationally, and in 2016 she received India’s third highest civilian award, the Padma Bhushan.

Early life and training

Nehwal, whose parents are both former professional badminton players, started playing the game in 1998, after moving from her hometown of Hisar to Hyderabad. There her father took her to the Lal Bahadur Shastri Stadium to learn the sport. Nani Prasad Rao, a coach at the stadium, noticed Nehwal’s talent and encouraged her family to invest in her future in badminton. Her parents were supportive and made financial sacrifices to ensure that Nehwal would be successful. In 2004 she began training under badminton player and coach Pullela Gopichand and became a nationally recognized junior champion in India’s National Badminton Championship; she won the title again in 2005. That same year Nehwal became an international champion, winning the Asian Satellite Badminton Tournament.

Rise to prominence

Nehwal won a bronze medal in the mixed team event at the 2006 Commonwealth Games in Melbourne and claimed the Philippines Open title that same year. In 2008 she became the national champion of India and the world junior champion. She broke new ground at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing when she became the first Indian badminton player to reach an Olympic quarterfinal. Later that year she won the Chinese Taipei Open. Her breakthrough came in 2009, when she won the Indonesia Open, which made her the first Indian to earn a Badminton World Federation (BWF) series title. Her performances earned her the Arjuna Award in 2009 and the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award (now the Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award) in 2010. She was also honored with the Padma Shri, India’s fourth highest civilian award, that same year. In June 2010 Nehwal won the Singapore Open and was ranked second in the world. That October she claimed a gold medal in women’s singles and a silver medal in the mixed team event at the Commonwealth Games in New Delhi. She capped off the year by winning the Hong Kong Super Series in December. In 2011 Nehwal won the Swiss Open Grand Prix Gold and became the first Indian singles player to reach the final of the BWF Super Series Finals.

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Olympic success and other accomplishments

Nehwal entered the 2012 Olympic Games in London determined to make up for her quarterfinal exit at the 2008 Olympics. Unfortunately, a week before the Games, she contracted a viral fever. Despite not being in peak condition during the tournament, she went on to win the bronze medal match against Chinese player Wang Xin, who withdrew during the match because of a twisted knee. Nehwal, who had not expected to win by default because of an opponent’s injury, went across the court to comfort Wang. Earlier that year Nehwal won the Indonesia Open Super Series Premier, and she later added the Denmark Open to her victories. In 2014 she won the India Open Grand Prix Gold after defeating another Indian player, P.V. Sindhu, and she secured a bronze medal in the Uber Cup. In June she won the Australian Open Super Series, defeating Spanish player Carolina Marin. Later that year Nehwal started training under coach Vimal Kumar and won the China Open Super Series Premier, becoming the first Indian woman to claim the title. The following year, she won her maiden India Open BWF Super Series and was ranked number one in the world.

Later career, personal life, and challenges

In 2016 Nehwal helped India win a bronze medal in the Uber Cup women’s team event. However, a knee injury at the Rio Olympics that same year led to her early exit. She underwent arthroscopic surgery, which kept her off the court for four months. Nevertheless, she made a strong comeback in 2018, winning two gold medals (women’s singles and mixed team) at the Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast, Australia, and a bronze medal at the Badminton Asia Championships. Later that year Nehwal married her longtime partner and fellow badminton player Parupalli Kashyap. Over the years, injuries continued to hamper her career, and she struggled with recurring knee issues. In 2024 she revealed that she has arthritis, which makes it difficult to train at full intensity. She acknowledged that her career was in its final phase and said that she would decide on retirement soon.

Achievements

Saina Nehwal has won numerous medals at international tournaments, making significant contributions to Indian badminton.